Cost of translators for Albanian crooks and suspects soars to £1.2million – DOUBLE the amount paid out in 2017
TRANSLATORS for Albanian criminals and suspects cost £1.2million last year, up from £507,000 in 2017.
Those in jail in England and Wales leapt from 726 to 1,500 in the same period.
Albanian gangs control much of the UK drugs trade and are heavily-involved in people trafficking.
In August it emerged the number crossing from France had surged — and accounted for six out of ten illegal migrants.
The East London-based Hellbanianz gang have posted videos showing wads of cash and cars.
The Ministry of Justice spent £21.3million on translators last year, a huge leap from the previous year’s £16million.
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Most went on Poles, £3.2million up from £2.8million five years ago.
But the UK is home to a million Poles and 100,000 Albanians.
Romanian criminals and suspects needed translators costing taxpayers £2.7million.
Lithuanians ran up a bill of £805,000, and Russians £594,000.
Alp Mehmet, of Migration Watch UK, said: “We are failing to identify criminals at the border.
“This puts the safety of citizens at serious risk.”